Enrollment
641
Michigan · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Grand Rapids, MI
Vista Charter Academy
Federal NCES profile for Vista Charter Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 260009700601Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vista Charter Academy earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools.
- #15 of 24
- elementary schools in Grand Rapids · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 85.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Vista Charter Academy has class sizes near the Michigan median. Computed live against every Michigan school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Charter Academy ranks #15 of 24 elementary schools in Grand Rapids, MI.
School address
District: Vista Charter Academy · Michigan
NCES ID 260009700601 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 17.5:1 Michigan avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.3%
vs 54.3% Michigan avg
+57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vista Charter Academy compares with Michigan and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vista Charter Academy
Vista Charter Academy is a high-poverty, large charter elementary school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, enrolling 641 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Michigan schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 85.3% of students qualify for free meals, 57% above the Michigan average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 641 puts it in the larger third of Michigan schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,375 scored Michigan schools.
Against 296 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #100.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and African American (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Grand Rapids's elementary schools, it stands alongside River City Scholars Charter Academy (286 students): Vista Charter Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.9:1 vs 10.2:1).
Vista Charter Academy is a single-school charter district, so Vista Charter Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Vista Charter Academy compares
Vista Charter Academy on the metrics families compare, against Michigan and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Michigan | Michigan avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▼ 15% | 17.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 85.3% | ▲ 57% | 54.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 641 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
641
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
85.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% above the Michigan average of 54.3%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 31% in Michigan - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
41.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,746
per pupil, district-wide
- below Michigan avg of $13,507
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 98 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 52.1%
African American 30.9%
Two or More 8.7%
White 7.5%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.0, Vista Charter Academy is more mixed than the Michigan school average of 36.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vista Charter Academy, which includes Vista Charter Academy.
$12,746
Per student
-6%
vs Michigan
Avg $13,507
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 3.5%
State 75.1%
Federal 21.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Similar elementary schools in Grand Rapids
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Michigan, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~641 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vista Charter Academy's federal record.
- Compare Vista Charter Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Vista Charter Academy's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Vista Charter Academy
How many students attend Vista Charter Academy?
Vista Charter Academy has 641 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Grand Rapids, MI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vista Charter Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Vista Charter Academy is 14.9:1, which is 15% lower than the Michigan average of 17.5:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vista Charter Academy?
85.3% of students at Vista Charter Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Michigan average of 54.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vista Charter Academy?
The largest demographic group at Vista Charter Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 52.1% of enrollment, in Grand Rapids, MI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vista Charter Academy?
Vista Charter Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Vista Charter Academy rank among elementary schools in Grand Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Vista Charter Academy ranks #15 of 24 elementary schools in Grand Rapids, MI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Grand Rapids on the city page.
Is Vista Charter Academy a good school?
Vista Charter Academy earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Michigan median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Michigan schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Vista Charter Academy?
None; Vista Charter Academy is a single-school charter district, and Vista Charter Academy is its only campus.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.